Photo Essay
This groups of photos were captured during the winter holiday when I visited my grandparents in Chongqing. These Chinese propaganda posters located at a previous asbestos factory now a creative center in Dadukou District. Dadukou District was and still is a heavily industrialized district. In the following section, I will try to analyze the three posters that found in the factory.
The image above consists of four male figure and two female figure. From left to right the male figures can be identified as teacher, factory worker, solider, and engineer. For the female figures above, they can be distinguish as student and farmer. The bottom left section of the painting depicts scene of workers moving and digging in the ground. Besides, the author also includes some industrial and construction buildings such as chimneys and tower crane. On the right side of the poster, it comprises of a rocket propelling from the ground and a huge industrial building. Moving yours eyes slight leftward, you are able to see two male workers with a white helmet and two female nurses. Behind them, there are two red flags waving against the wind. Noticeably, in the center left of the poster, a grand and enormous bridge has been portrayed. On the bridge, it comprised several moving train carriages.
Evidently, Chinese political posters shares characteristics, function, and allegory with its Soviet counterpart. The main figures are in a bulky manner. With the use of modeling, the painter enables the figures to be demonstrated in a 3D way. In fact, this way of depicting subject matter is creating an idealized versions of the working class in China; they are holding objects that can make interference of their occupations and personal identity within the Chinese society such as, a gun, blueprint, or a pair of glasses. The so-called portraits of Chinese people successfully created a standard for an idealized individual under the reign of the Chinese Communist Party. Next, all of the main figures in the poster are gazing outside of the picture or moving a forward positions. This types of allegory is among the most common one and the most easily to notice and identify. Portraying figures in this kind of dynamics poses of forwarded gazes conveys the message that the Chinese society is marching toward the utopian the Party described and China will eventually be a communist society. Additionally, the blurring background with elements such as landscape, skies, townscapes, and rocket launching is expressing spiritual pathos for the audiences. Lastly, right under the posters, there is a slogan said "fighting to build China into a strong and modern socialist country."
The slogan under the poster says "Grasp Revolution, Promote Production." This is actually the plan and foundation for the Chinese government's economic plan during the Cultural Revolutions.
The figure is wearing a cape which is commonly wore by factory workers. The man's right hand is holding a wrench that enables viewer to identify him as a member of the worker class and his left hand is raising upward and gripping a book called Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung. Internationally, it is knowns as the "Little Red Book." The books was widely dispensed throughout the most turbulent period in the history of People's Republic of China: the Cultural Revolution.
The figure shown is a comparatively bigger than most of Chinese people were living during that period, the Cultural Revolution. Portraying the subject matter in this buik, physical, and strong manner which is an ideal representation for the figure in Chinese propaganda poster. Around the Little Red Book, there are rays of light emanating outward, which analogise the Little Red Book as the sun. The Party is specifically alluding that Chairman Mao is the red sun in people's heart.
Lastly, the poster incorporates an array of color red. As we all know, the color red is one of most recognizable symbol for the Communist Party.
The poster depicts of a scene of workers constructing something in the factory. In the center, there is a major figure in a jacket holding a large construction equipment. Over the back, a group of workers are working right under an iron tower.
Below the poster, there is a slogan which says "Industry learns from Daqing." This is a movement initiated in 1964 by the Chinese Communist Party. The goal of the movement is to ask other departments in state council to learn the experience of the success of Daqing Oil Field. Since the launch of this movement, Daqing has become a symbol in China's industry.
